Conventional wind turbines harness the energy of wind and convert the energy to a form of mechanical energy. The mechanical energy may further be converted to electrical energy based on the application in which the wind turbine is used. Nearly all conventional wind turbines require a minimum wind speed to rotate their blades. This wind speed is called a cut-in speed. As is known, power output of a wind turbine is directly proportional to a cube of the wind speed. Therefore, for example, about 10% increase in the wind speed results in about 33% increase of power output. Sometimes, the wind does not attain the cut-in speed, resulting in non-rotation of the blades of the wind turbine and therefore non-generation of electric power. However, when the wind attains or exceeds the cut-in speed, the wind turbine rotates at a speed proportional to the wind speed. This dependency on attainment of the cut-in speed by the wind speed reduces the power that is generated by the wind turbine resulting in low electric power production. There is a need for an alternate power source that provides power to initiate rotation of the blades of the wind turbine when the wind is less than the cut-in speed, thereby reducing or eliminating the cut-in speed required to rotate the blades of the wind turbine.
Hence, there is a long felt but unresolved need for a method and an apparatus that provides power to rotate the blades of a wind turbine when the wind speed is less than the cut-in speed, thereby reducing or eliminating a cut-in speed required to rotate the blades of the wind turbine.